How Ty Isaac Could Affect Team 136

Posted onAuthorGarrett Fishaw

The addition of former 5* RB Ty Isaac would be great news for Michigan thanks to the running game problems and Nussmeier\’s multiple back system. However, if he does decide to join the Wolverines, it will come with ripple effects. Thanks to the NCAA rules, he will not be eligible to return to the field until 2015 as a redshirt sophomore, which likely means the staff will only look to take one running back in the Team 136 recruiting class. That means it could come down to a race between their top targets in Damien Harris and Mike Weber.

Clearly the top two running backs on their board, Harris and Weber are elite options that very well could be favoring Michigan as things stand at the moment. However, both want to play the waiting game and make a late decision. But if only it were that easy.

The world of college football recruiting is tough. If a player waits to long to make a decision, the school he wants the most may have their scholarship limit filled up at their position. That is why teams like to have players committed earlier, as long as their 100%. Because, as Michigan saw with the Damien Harris de-commitment, you can never fully trust the \”commitment\” of a 16-17 year old kid. With Harris now taking things slow and Weber looking to make a decision at the 2015 Army All-American game, Michigan may have to ask both to speed up their decision if they do indeed land Isaac. That is because the 2015 class is already very thin on available scholarships, so the addition of Isaac would take away one of the few spots, and another ball carrier would be the least of their needs.

So, who will that guy be? If and when Isaac joins the class and the staff needs to break the news to their top recruits, it is very hard to try and guess which recruit would pull the trigger first.

5* Damien Harris, 5\’11\’\’ 198lbs. Berea, KY (Madison Southern HS)

  • Harris has a rumored top 5 of Michigan, O$U, FSU, Florida and Alabama with the Wolverines as the leader, according to his mother. UofM will stay in it thanks to his life long affinity with the program and the fact that he was a commit not too long ago.

4* Mike Weber, 5\’10\’\’ 205lbs. Detroit, MI (Cass Tech HS)

  • Weber has a top 5 of Michigan, MSU, O$U, Wisconsin and Tennessee with the Wolverines likely in the top two. He is from Detroit, so he gets a little more attention since he is able to visit and be visited with just a short drive.

Both recruits make sense, but if Isaac commits I don\’t think we will get to see both in the Winged helmet thanks to the lack of immediate playing time and scholarship numbers. Here is the running back depth chart as of right now:

  1. DeVeon Smith, Sophomore
  2. Derrick Green, Sophomore
  3. Justice Hayes, RS Junior
  4. Drake Johnson, RS Sophomore
  5. Ross Douglas, RS Freshmen
  6. Wyatt Shallman, RS Freshmen (Halfback)

As you can see, the depth chart is not lacking but could definitely improve. That is why the staff is looking to add two elite backs to the 2015 roster. Here is what the 2015 running back depth chart could like like:

  1. DeVeon Smith, Junior
  2. Derrick Green, Junior
  3. Ty Isaac, RS Sophomore
  4. Justice Hayes, RS Senior
  5. Drake Johnson. RS Junior
  6. Ross Douglas, RS Sophomore
  7. Mike Weber/Damien Harris, Freshmen

If I had to choose between which of the two would commit first, I\’d go with Weber at the moment based on opinion and estimated guess alone. There are rumors that Michigan may be trailing with Harris and that Weber is a big, big fan of Nussmeier\’s. But there is a slim chance that Harris\’ mother could push her son to re-commit to the Wolverines, though that is not very likely to happen.

Though both players are great prospects, Harris is the premier of the two (IMO). His size, speed, and vision are elite, but his low level of competition in Kentucky is a bit of a concern. In Weber, he is a bulldog running back that can grind out yards in similar fashion to former Wolverine Mike Hart, and plays at a very high level in Detroit and Southeastern Michigan.

At the end of the day, if Michigan ends up with two out of Ty Isaac, Mike Weber and Damien Harris, it will be a very good day for the program. So, hold on tight, the Isaac decision should happen in the near future.

Garrett Fishaw
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